Pretoria University Law Press (PULP)

PULP is an open-access publisher based at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

Compendium of key human rights documents of the African Union

Details
Category: Legal compilations
Compendium of key human rights documents of the African Union - Fifth Edition
Edited by Christof Heyns and Magnus Killander
2013
ISBN: 978-1-920538-16-3
Pages: 513
Print version: Available
Electronic version: Free PDF available

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About the publication

The year 2011 marked 25 years since the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African or Banjul Charter). In 2012, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) celebrates 25 years since it came into operation in 1987. Since its adoption, the African Charter has been supplemented by the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa (Women’s Protocol).

All AU member states (with the exception of newcomer South Sudan) have become state party to the African Charter, and 26 of them have accepted the Women’s Protocol.

Against the background of the 2011 and 2012 celebrations, the question should be posed to what extent the promises of the Charter and Women’s Protocol have been realised. What has the impact of these instruments been on the practice of state parties?

This publication, The impact of the African Charter and Women’s Protocol in selected African states, aims to start addressing this question. Based on research conducted by alumni of the Centre for Human Rights LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa), the publication consists of nineteen country studies, representing states across the continent.

The Centre aims to use this research and, together with the LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa) Alumni Association, to update and extend the existing research. Anyone with relevant information is invited to contact the Centre or the Alumni Association with relevant information, or to act as a country researcher. See www.chr.up.ac.za for more details.

About the editors:

Christof Heyns is Professor of Human Rights Law and Director of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.
Magnus Killander is a researcher at the Centre for Huma Rights, University of Pretoria and is also the co-editor of African Human Rights Law Reports.

Table of Contents

FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
INSTRUMENTS OF THE AFRICAN UNION

  • Charter of the Organization of African Unity (1963/1963)
  • Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (1991/1994)
  • Constitutive Act of the African Union (2000/2001)
  • Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act (2003/)
  • Protocol on the Pan African Parliament (2001/2003)
  • Protocol on the Peace and Security Council (2002/2003)
  • Statutes of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (2004)
  • African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981/1986)
  • Protocol on the African Human Rights Court (1998/2004)
  • Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (2008/)
  • Protocol on the Rights of Women (2003/2005)
  • OAU Refugee Convention (1969/1974)
  • African Children’s Charter (1990/1999)
  • Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (1999/2002)
  • Protocol on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (2004/)
  • African Convention on the Conservation of Nature (Revised) (2003/)
  • Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (2003/2006)
  • Non-Aggression and Common Defence Pact (2005/2009)
  • Charter for African Cultural Renaissance (2006/)
  • African Youth Charter (2006/2009)
  • African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007/2012)
  • AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (2009/2012)
  • Grand Bay (Mauritius) Declaration (1999)
  • Declaration on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (2000)
  • Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation (2000)
  • Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa (2002)
  • Kigali Declaration (2003)
  • Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004)
  • Guidelines for Electoral Observation Missions (2004)
  • Banjul Declaration (2006)

AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS

  • Rules of Procedure of the African Commission (2010)
  • Guidelines for National Periodic Reports (1998)
  • Guidelines for Reporting on Women’s Protocol (2010)
  • Concluding Observations on a Periodic Report (2009)

Selected Decisions of the African Commission
List of reprinted decisions by article of the African Charter

  • Achuthan and Another v Malawi (2000) AHRLR 144 (ACHPR 1995)
  • African Institute for Human Rights and Development v Guinea (2004) AHRLR 57 (ACHPR 2004)
  • Amnesty International v Sudan (2000) AHRLR 297 (ACHPR 1999)
  • Article 19 v Eritrea (2007) AHRLR 73 (ACHPR 2007)
  • Avocats Sans Frontières v Burundi (2000) AHRLR 48 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Bissangou v Republic of Congo (2006) AHRLR 80 (ACHPR 2006)
  • Centre for Minority Rights Development (Kenya) and Minority Rights Group International on behalf of Endorois Welfare Council v Kenya (2009) AHRLR 75 (ACHPR 2009)
  • Civil Liberties Organisation v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 186 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme et des Libertés v Chad (2000) AHRLR 66 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Another v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 191 (ACHPR 1998)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Another v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 235 (ACHPR 1999)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 180 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Constitutional Rights Project and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 227 (ACHPR 1999)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo v Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda (2004) AHRLR 19 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Doebbler v Sudan (2003) AHRLR 153 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Egyptian Initiative for Personal rights and Interights v Egypt communication 323/2006
  • Forum of Conscience v Sierra Leone (2000) AHRLR 293 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Gunme and Others v Cameroon (2009) AHRLR 9 (ACHPR 2009)
  • Huri-Laws v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 273 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa v Angola (2008) AHRLR 43 (ACHPR 2008)
  • Interights and Others v Botswana (2003) AHRLR 55 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Interights et al v Mauritania (2004) AHRLR 87 (ACHPR 2004)
  • International Pen and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 212 (ACHPR 1998)
  • Jawara v The Gambia (2000) AHRLR 107 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Katangese Peoples’ Congress v Zaire (2000) AHRLR 72 (ACHPR 1995)
  • Law Office of Ghazi Suleiman v Sudan (I) (2003) AHRLR 134 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Law Office of Ghazi Suleiman v Sudan (II) (2003) AHRLR 144 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Lawyers for Human Rights v Swaziland (2005) AHRLR 66 (ACHPR 2005)
  • Legal Resources Foundation v Zambia (2001) AHRLR 84 (ACHPR 2001)
  • Ligue Camerounaise des Droits de l’Homme v Cameroon (2000) AHRLR 61 (ACHPR 1997)
  • Majuru v Zimbabwe (2008) AHRLR 146 (ACHPR 2008)
  • Malawi African Association and Others v Mauritania (2000) AHRLR 149 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Media Rights Agenda and Others v Nigeria (2000) AHRLR 200 (ACHPR 1998)
  • Ouko v Kenya (2000) AHRLR 135 (ACHPR 2000)
  • Pagnoulle v Cameroon (2000) AHRLR 57 (ACHPR 1997)
  • Prince v South Africa (2004) AHRLR 105 (ACHPR 2004)
  • Purohit and Others v The Gambia (2003) AHRLR 96 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Shumba v Zimbabwe communication 288/2004
  • Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC) and Another v Nigeria (2001) AHRLR 60 (ACHPR 2001)
  • Sudan Human Rights Organisation and Another v Sudan (2009) AHRLR 153 (ACHPR 2009)
  • Zegveld and Another v Eritrea (2003) AHRLR 84 (ACHPR 2003)
  • Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum v Zimbabwe (2005) AHRLR 128 (ACHPR 2005)
  • Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Another (on behalf of Medrum) v Zimbabwe (2009) AHRLR 268 (ACHPR 2009)

Resolutions of the African Commission

  • Electoral Process and Participatory Governance (1996)
  • Observer Status for National Human Rights Institutions (1998)
  • Criteria for Observer Status for NGOs (1999)
  • Dakar Declaration on the Right to a Fair Trial (1999)
  • Death Penalty (1999)
  • HIV/AIDS (2001)
  • Principles on Freedom of Expression (2002)
  • Robben Island Guidelines on Torture (2002)
  • Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Fair Trial (2003)
  • Human Rights Defenders (2004)
  • Refugees (2004)
  • Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (2004)
  • Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa (2004)
  • Status of Women in Africa (2005)
  • Impunity (2005)
  • Terrorism (2005)
  • Darfur (2005)
  • Implementation of Recommendations (2006)
  • Women and Girls Victims of Sexual Violence (2007)
  • Re-appointment of Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (2007)
  • Elections in Africa (2008)
  • Human Rights Situation in The Gambia (2008)
  • Maternal Mortality in Africa (2008)
  • Moratorium on the Death Penalty (2008)
  • Access to Health and Needed Medicines in Africa (2008)

Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights

  • Violations (2009)
  • Advisory Committee on Budgetary and Staff Matters (2009)
  • Transformation of the Focal Point on Rights of Older Persons (2009)
  • Committee of Experts on Rights and Welfare of the Child (2009)
  • Deteriorating Human Rights Situation in The Gambia (2009)
  • Protection of Rights of People Living with HIV (2010)
  • Resolution on Repealing Criminal Defamation Laws in Africa (2010)
  • Resolution on the Safety of Journalists and Media Practitioners in Africa (2011)
  • Resolution on Human Rights Defenders in Africa (2011)
  • Resolution on the expansion of the mandate of the Working group on Death Penalty in Africa (2012)
  • Resolution on the right to adequate housing and protection from forced evictions (2012)
  • Resolution on the Right to Nationality (2013)
  • Resolution on Illicit Capital Flight from Africa (2013)

AFRICAN COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS AND WELFARE OF THE CHILD

  • Concluding observations on the state report of Uganda (2011)
  • IHRDA and OSJI v Kenya communication 2/09 (2011)

AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS

  • Rules of Court (2010)
  • Mtikila v Tanzania applications 9/2011 & 11/2011 (2013)

NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT

  • NEPAD Declaration (2001)
  • Memorandum of Understanding on the APRM (2003)
  • Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance (2002)
  • African Peer Review Mechanism: Base Document (2002)
  • Objectives, Standards, Criteria and Indicators for the APRM (2003)

CHART OF RATIFICATIONS: AU HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES
USEFUL WEBSITES
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

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